I am American born. My grandfather and grandmother came from Salaparuta. I have found the family name in the telephone directory there. I do not speak Italian so it is difficult to attempt to contact anyone by email. Is anyone on this forum familiar with residents in Salaparuta? Do you have a suggestion now to go about connecting with family there? Thank you so much.

Hello, If you have an email address, my suggestion would be that until you can find someone that writes in Italian, use google language translator.Write a letter long enough to explain to them how the families are connected.Make sure you put something in the subject line that you think would keep them from deleting it before they open it. I know this works from past experience.

Thank you for directing me to the translator. That brings up another possibility -- there are language converters that I could use to convert a letter into Italian. Funny enough, my grandfather had a dispute with his brother sometime after immigrating on the Garminia in 1907. He subsequently changed our family name. I was unaware of his brother's existence until I overheard something about the family as a teenager; but because of the name change, I did not urealize they were part of our family. Although they lived in the same small Texas town, we had no contact with them. Good grief! I ask myself, "Is this the Sicilian way"? Thanks again.